Blind
by Aloha.Laney
Summary: One shot. After an accident Elena is temporarily blind. How does she deal with it? And what about Reno and Rude? Elena's POV. No pairing. Please read and review!


**Summary: **After an accident Elena is temporarily blind. How does she deal with it? And what about Reno and Rude?

**Disclaimer:** I didn't, don't and never will own Final Fantasy VII.

**AN:** Important!! There's **no** Tseng in here! Just assume he's dead. Sorry!

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**Blind **

Gloomy. Dark. Black.

No colors, no light.

Elena couldn't exactly describe the emotions she felt. But bewilderment, dolor, anger and desperation hit the mark pretty well.

Blind – that was it what Elena was. Blind! She of all people…

Temporarily – that was it what the doctor said. Three months ago.

Just because of a little accident in an abandoned labor.

Elena could curse her curiosity. Basically she did exactly this every day. Whenever she was alone she yelled her thoughts and feeling out loud. She couldn't care less if somebody heard it. She couldn't see the people's reactions anyway.

Afterward she couldn't even say what persuaded her to break into the labor alone. Probably in order so prove her fellow Turks that she was just as good as them. Actually she already suspected this beforehand but they didn't let her feel that. Frequently she felt inferior.

But why blame others? It was her who made that fatal mistake, not Reno or Rude.

Maybe, because it was easier.

Elena was afraid. Afraid of breaking down. She – the only female Turk – was exactly like any other person. Just because she was a Turk and could decide whether one should live or die didn't automatically mean she wasn't vulnerable or violable.

She learned that now – on an extremely painful way.

But this didn't mean that she would wallow in self-pity now. She tried to make the best of the situation and circumstances whereas she didn't repress her feeling. She still yelled them out loud every day. Mostly in the mornings in front of the mirror. The mirror in which she still couldn't see herself. The mirror which became completely worthless…

And that was exactly how she felt. Worthless.

After the diagnosis of the doctor Reno had put her on leave.

Temporarily – that was it what Reno said. Three months ago.

She didn't know what she would have done if her fellow Turks had abandoned her. But they occasionally met and hung out together.

Elena was glad that the both of them didn't shower her with pity. But they weren't destined for anything like that anyway. Sure, in single moments they showed their pity but Elena guessed that they're holding off because she had yelled at them in the hospital not to have pity on her otherwise she'd had to kill them. But she didn't believe that Reno and Rude had taken her threat too seriously.

But she decided that a little bit of sympathy was all right.

Elena enjoyed the time the three of them spent with each other, not just job-related but privately.

That way she finally got to know Reno and Rude better. She learned for example about Rude that he was an excellent chef and about Reno that he once had been driving races.

That Elena was blind was no reason for Reno to stop teasing and annoying her. But she didn't mind. Actually she was thankful not to be treated differently.

She still could fend pretty well. The last time Reno went too far she simply threw the second-best thing she had at her fingertips in his direction. It was an egg. She hit the mark – literally.

The egg smashed on his forehead.

After several seconds of silence Rude finally started roaring. With an effort he tried to make Elena clear what she had managed to do just now. Having seen for herself with help of her hands on Reno's face it made her laugh so much that her eyes almost began to water. Even Reno who had been strangely calm in the beginning due to anger and surprise joined in the laughter of his fellow Turks.

It had been a really great evening. The most Elena was happy about was her success. She missed her job. She missed the shooting in which she was an ace even more.

A week ago at the day after the throw with the egg Reno and Rude took her to the shooting gallery at HQ. Soon a sort of competition developed from the primary shooting practice where either Rude or Reno had helped her to align the gun. And sure enough, Elena won the contest even though it was a close-run decision. Reno simply couldn't believe it. Rude chuckled as Elena performed a small victory-dance.

Reno never had asked Elena about the reasons for her action until then. Neither had Rude. Elena knew that they're waiting for her to tell them herself.

Assured by the better relationship to Reno and Rude Elena committed her feelings and insecurities to them. She didn't want to hear empty promises just out of pity to give her a better feeling. But she knew that Rude and Reno already knew that and she was glad that the both of them listened patiently and silently to her without speaking.

When she already thought they no longer wouldn't react she got a present from them yesterday. It was some sort of a certificate but instead of a paper it was engraved in a wooden board. That way she could run her fingertips over it and so read it. Elena had to cry from emotion and hugged Reno and Rude tightly.

She had friends.

Friends, real friends.

Maybe the thing with her blindness wasn't so bad altogether.

Elena just hoped the relationship to her friends wouldn't change again as soon as she got her sight back. But Reno and Rude gave her their word not to let that happen. And Elena trusted in them. They always kept their word.

She really wanted the "temporarily" to come to an end. There was so much she wanted to do as soon as her eyes were okay.

The word "if" in conjunction with her blindness had been banished out of her mind. She aimed at the word "when" and she felt confident to make it.

With the help of her friends definitely.

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**AN:** Please review! Thanks!


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